Art of testing coins or other tokens for genuineness



F. w. HOBANQ Dec. 6, 1932.

ART OF TESTING COINS OR OTHER TOKENS FOR GENUINENESS Filed Nov. '14,1929 TOR Ewe/4W5? @44/ MN! ATTORN EYS Patented Dec. 6, 1932 UNITED,STATES PATENT OFFICE FAIRFIELD W. HOBAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORFAIBFIELD SPECIALTIES CORPORATION, OF NEW-YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK ART OF TESTING COINS OR OTHER TOKENS FOB GENUINENESSApplication filed November 14, 1929. Serial No. 407,099.

My invention relates to improvements in means and methods for testingcoins, tokens or like devices for genuineness and for retaining oraccepting the genu ne pieces or devices and refusing or rejecting thespurious or counterfeit ones.

An object of the invention is to distinguish between the coins or tokensby reliance upon a property or quality of the genuine coin or device notpossessed by the various spurious or counterfeit devices presented, suchas the electrical resistance of the genuine coin or token, the spuriousdevices being rejected because of the absence of said specific ofparticular property or quality there n.

Another object of the invention isto insure the acceptance of the goodcoin or token by the effects of a current of predeterm'ned value oramperage obtained when a genuine coin or token is presented for test andnot obtained when other coins or tokens are presented.

Another object of the invention is to control the current relied on fortesting the con or token by variation in the impedance of the circuitthereof by or through the coin or token when the same is presented tothe circuit for test, whereby to effect aneconomy in the use of currentat idle periods and permit of the elimination of switches and cutoutslikely to cause when actuated current.

surges producing unreliable results.

Another object of the invention is to enable the rejection of spuriouscoins or tokens composed of metals, such as copper, having a value ofresstance close to that of a genuine silver alloy coin or token.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a novel method forproducing apparatus capable of distinguishing between said last namedcopper and silver tokens or devices.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out herenafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my inventionconsists of the novel features of construction, and in the combination,connection and arrangement of parts, and in the'steps constituting mysaid methods, hereinafter more fully described and then pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanyin drawing: Figure 1 is a side e evation with parts insection showing one form of apparatus constructed according to andembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan thereof, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective showing the apparatus encased.

Referring to the drawing, an electrical element resembling atransformer, and constituting means for testing coins, tokens or likedevices is disposed within a casing12. The element 10 includes anendless magnetic core 14, preferably of laminated silicon constructionand a multi-turn coil 16 disposed about the vertical front portion ofthe core 14 and constituting a choke or impedance. A U-shapedelectrically conductive secondary member 18, preferably of copper, forcontrolling or reducing the impedance of the coil 16 embraces the upperportion of the core 14 back of the coil 16. A bolt 19 serves to securethe member 18 to the core with the ends 20 thereof extending above theupper side of the core.

A pair of spaced conductive members 22 and 24, preferably composed ofcopper are, electrically and mechanically connected to the ends 20 ofthe U'-sl1aped member 18 by the screw 25. The members 22 and 24 extendforwardly above and beyond the core 14 to form a gap 26 adapted to bebridged by the coin, token or like device to form a closed endlesscircuit.

A pair'of slotted brackets 28 are secured in suitable position atopposite sides of the gap 26 for receiving the pintles 30 of the guidingroller, 32 within the slots thereof, the roller being biased to movetowards the contact forming ends 33 of the members 22 and 24 by means ofsprings 34 secured to the pintles'30 and to suitable abutments 36, uponmember 18. The roller 32 preferably comprises cylindrical outer portions38. and a double conical intermediate portion 40 tapermg towards thecenter of the roller. The

casing 12 has a depressed portion 42 in the roller 32. The slot 44 is ofa length corresponding to the diameter of the coin or other token forwhich the device is to be adapted.

When the coin or other token, if of the required size, is insertedthrough the slot 44 the lower sector of the token is guided by doubleconical portion '40 until the cylindrical portions 38 engage the lateralperipheral portions of the coin or'token. Thereupon the roller 32presses the coin or token into engagement with the ends 33 to close thecircuit of the secondary member 18. As the coin passes downwardly thecoin disengages the portion 38 and the double conical portion 40facilitates the passage of the coin past the roller.

The coin or other token after closing the gap 26 is received by the coinselecting or chute means 46 which is preferably in the form of a bellcrank pivoted upon the forward ends of brackets 47 secured to the lowerportionof the core 14 and projecting beyond 5 the front thereof. The arm48 of the chute 46 is disposed vertically at the front of the coil 16 inrelatively close proximity thereto and the arm 50 thereof extendsrearwardly at the side of the core 14. A spring 52 is connected at oneend to the rear end of the arm 50 and at its opposite end to anabutment54 located vertically above the arm 50 upon the member 22 andadapted to be adjusted to control the spring tension. Outward movementof the arm 48 is limited by a stop 56 on the members 22 and 24 adaptedto be engaged by a pin 58 on the armature 60 secured to the upperportion of the arm 48 and projecting rearwardly towards the core 14above the coil 16. The arm 48 and armature 60 are composed of magneticmaterial, such as soft iron. The arm 48 is provided with parallel coinor token receiving passages or guideways 62 and 64 separated by arelatively thin parti- 'tion 66. The passages 62 and 64 are open attheir upper ends, as indicated at 68 and 7.0, and at their lower endsaredeflected laterallyin opposite directions to provide exits 72 and 74 forthe coins or tokens. When the arm 48 is in pos1t1on with the pin 58thereof engaging the stop 56, the passage 62 is in al gnment with thepassage 45 between the ends 33 and roller 32. The armature faces theupper front portion of the core 14, and, with the parts in the positionshown, is spaced therefrom a distance such that, when the arm 48 andarmature 60 are, attracted by the core 14 and the armature 60 moves intoengagement with the latter, the slot or passage 64 60 then movesintoalignment with said passage 45. A cup 75 is arranged externally of thecasing 12 at the exit end 72 of the passage 62 for receiving the coinsor tokens if counterfeit or spurious, or if of insufficient size,whereby 65 to return the inadequate devices to the person inserting thesame. Good coins or tokens received into the passage 64 pass into asuitable box disposed contiguous to the exit 74, or such good coin ortoken may be diverted for actuating other devices, such as bells orother signalling or indicating devices, or other the amperage of thecurrent through the coil 16 and this in turn is controlled by the U-shaped conductive member 18. When a good coin or token such as anordinary silver coin engages the contact ends 33 and closes the gap 26thereof, a current of predetermined amperage is developed in the coil 16which in turn developes a magnetism in the core 14 of predeterminedintensity, suflicient to attract the member 46 and cause the armature 60thereof to engage the core. Coins or tokens having a greater resistancethan that of the good or desired coins or tokens prevent the developmentof sufficient current in the coil 16 to actuate the member 46, and hencesuch spurious coin or token passes through the passage 45 -into thepassage or guideway 62, and is returned to the person who inserted thesame. However when a good coin or token having the resistance for whichthe device is adjusted is inserted, the member 46 is attracted and thecoin slips past the roller 32 and enters the slot or passageway 64 fordelivery to the box therefor or to a point for actuating other devicesor mechanisms.

Before the good coin entirely disengages the contact ends 33 the lowerportion thereof enters the passage 64 so that when the current throughthe coil 16 reduces upon disengagement of the coin from the contacts 33and chute 46 returns to normal position the good coin or token is freeto slide through the passage 64.

The slot 44 through which the coin or token is inserted is ofsubstantially the s ze neces-' sary to receive a coin or token of thedesired denomination .or diameter While excluding coins or tokens ofgreater diameter. Coins or slugs smal er than those for which theopening 44 is designed pass through the member 46 without operating themechanism and are returned.

I have found,however, that certain slugs may be surreptitiously employedwhich are composed of copper having when uncorroded a resistance whichis approximately close to the resistance of a genuine silver alloy coin.These slugs unless the apparatus is extremely sensitive are likely tooperate the apparatus like a genuine coin does. To prevent thissurreptitious operation the ends 33, constituting the contacts, areformed as follows: Silver nitrate crystals and relatively fine silverfilings are placed upon the ends 33 of the copper members 22 and 24. Thegap 26 is then short circuited by a separate bridging member. Thiscauses a current through members 18, 22 and 24 which developsconsiderable heat therein. The heating is continued until the crystalsof silver nitrate fuse and a solid mass composed of silver nitrateadmixed with silver filings is formed upon the ends 33. The shortcircuiting is then discontinued and the apparatus is ready for normaloperation. By employing contacts 33 formed as above described I findthat the current developed in the coil 16 when a copper piece bridgesthe gap 26 is substantially less than the current developed in the coil16 when a silver coin bridges the gap. The selector member 46 and thespring 52 thereof may therefore be adjusted to respond to the greateramperage or current strength without responding to the lesser amperagedeveloped when a copper slug bridges such The apparatus dependsprimarily for operation on characteristics, properties or qualities ofgenuine or good COIIIS or tokens such as the silver, copper and nickelalloy any other metal from which slugs or spuriouscoins are usuallymade, such as iron, aluminum, lead and the like, and the apparatusherein shown and described as one embodiment is arranged for operationwith silver coins.

In operation, when the apparatus is not in use and the gap 26 is open,the high impedance of the coil 16 and core 14 effectively retards orreduces the flow of alternating current from the main line for thepurpose of obtaining economy in the use of current.

When coins or tokens which are smaller than the opening 44 are insertedthe coin slides through the guideway 62 into the return box withoutactuating the mechanism. Obviously coins too large to pass through theslot 44 cannot be used. When such device is of non-metallic ornon-conducting material the same will not actuate the mechanism, and isreturned. a

My apparatus therefore rejects. coins-or devices which are not of therequired size or denomination or which are of non-conducting material,thereby preventing the use of a large class of slugs or other spuriouspieces made of substances such as glass, fibre, or the like.

If the device inserted is a metallic one of the proper size but of amaterial different from that of 'a genuine coin, the same bridges thegap 26 to cause some increase of current in the coil 16 but not enoughto actuate the pivoted member 46. Such metallic device is also returnedto the person inserting the same.

With the apparatus shown, when a silver coin of definite resistancecloses the secondary gap 26 the increase in current strength or amperagein coil 16 resulting from the decrease in impedance thereof increasesthe magnetism in the core 14 sufliciently to move the coin selectingmember 46 to bring the passage 64 thereof into alignment with thepassage 45. By placing the magnetic memher 46 in the external field ofthe coil 16, the

flux is concentrated and increase in current intensity obtained.

A characteristic or feature of the present invention is the provision ofmeans, such as the diverting means 46, responsive only to thepredetermined current strength or amperage obtained when a genuine coinor token closes the gap 26 for indicating or making known the characterof the token or coin, whether the same is genuine or spurious,

and/or for controlling the disposition of they a coin, token or likedevice accordingto the character thereof. The invention is applicablefor testing coins such as silver, which has a resistance lower thanslugs of other metals usually employed, or for testing coins such ascopper or nickel-copper alloys which have resistances intermediate theresistances of slugs of the various metals, some of which may have alower resistance and some of which may have a higher resistance than thegenuine coin or token.

Another characteristic or feature of my invent on resides 1n theimpedance means 16 which permits of the use of alternating current andserves to eflectively retard or reduce the flow of current when theapparatus is not in use. When the coin or token closes the gap 26 the'coin is traversed by relatively small current incapable of causingsparking or unduly heating the coin, and the resulting increase incurrent through the coil 16 is gradual and inversely proportional to thecoin resistance. Were the circuit of the testing means controlled bycut-outs or circuit 1nakers or breakers the closing thereof would causemomentary increases of current flow corresponding to that for genuinecoins or tokens even in the presence of a false coin, resulting in theinadvertent acceptance of such false coin or device by the divertingmeans.

With my arrangement all non-metallic devices as Well as all metallicdevices not of the required size are rejected and the test imposed uponthe other metallic devices is such thatthose not having the particularproperty or quality of the genuine or good coin or. token are alsorejected.

Further, the means for controlling the disposition of the metallicdevices is responsive only to some single property possessed by goodcoins or devices and not possessed by the spurious coins or devices.Coins or tokens resented for test and not satisfying the conitionsimposed on the apparatus for operation are rejected, thereby renderingunnecessary a number of testing means each dependent for operation on adifferent property of the several kinds of slugs or spurious deviceswhich may possibly be submitted for test.

Apparatus embodying my said invention may be incorporated with otherapparatus if so desired, such as telephone pay boxes, turnstiles,vending machines, automatic money changers and the like.

I claim:

1. The hereindescribed'method of distin guishing between genuine andspurious coins, tokens or like devices which consists in presenting thedevices to a circuit having impedance controlling the currenttherethrough, and utilizing the conductivity of said devices forreducing said impedance and causing a current flow varying in inverserelation to the resistance of the devices, and utilizing the magneticfield of said impedance developed by current of certain of the amperagesobtained for making known the character of the device presented.

2. The hereindescribed method of distinguishing between genuine andspurious coins, tokens or like devices which consists in presenting thedevices to a circuit having impedance controllin the currenttherethrough, and utilizing t e conductivity of said devices forreducing said impedance and causing a current flow varying in inverserelation to the resistance of the devices, and utilizing the magneticfield developed about the impedance by current of the amperage obtainedin the presence of a genuine device to the exclusion of the fieldproduced by current of other amperages, and producing thereby mechanicalmovement for diverting the genuine device.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a circuitincluding electromagnetic means, means for presenting coins, tokens, orlike devices to said circuit to control the current thereof inaccordance with th composition of the devices, said circuit a passagealigning with said device presenting means in one position of thearmature and another passage aligning with said device presenting meansin the other position of said armature.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a circuitincluding electromagnetic means, spaced contacts forming a gap in aportion of said circuit, a spring pressed roller facing said gapandhaving an intermediate portion of reduced diameter, said roller andsaid contacts forming a passage therebetween for receiving a coin, tokenor like device to close the circuit at said gap, and means actuated bysaid electromagnetic means and controlling the destination of the devicepassing from said passage.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a circuit havingan impedance therein, means adapted to be engaged by a coin, token orlike device for controlling said impedance, and means actuated by theelectromagnetic e'ifectsof said impedance for T controlling thedestination of the device.

6. An apparatus of the character described comprising a magnetic core,an impedance on said core adapted tobe placed in circuit with a sourceof current, a secondary member on said core having spaced contactsforming a gap and adapted to be engaged by a coin, token or like deviceto control said impedance, and a pivoted armature disposed in theexternal field of said impedance and actuated by said core, saidarmature having means for controlling the destination of the device.

7. Apparatus of the character described comprising a core, an impedancecoil about sa d core, an open secondary member about said core,conducting member extending forward from said secondary member andproviding spaced contacts for engagement with a coin, token or likedevice, a spring pressed roller facing said contacts and forming apassage for said device, a vertically extending armature pivoted at thelower end thereof contiguous to said core, and having vertical devicereceiving passages therein, a stop, and a spring normally holding saidarmature against said stop and one passage thereof in alignment withsaid first named passage, said armature being actuated magnetically bysaid core to move the other of said passages into alignment with saidfirst named passage upon development in said impedance of a current ofpredetermined amperage resulting from the presence of a genuine coin ordevice, and being immune to currents of lesser amperage;

8. An apparatus of the character described comprising a circuit havingspaced contacts adapted to be engaged by a coin, token or like devicefor controlling the current, said contacts including masses of silvernitrate admixed with silver filings, and means controlled by saidcircuit and indicating the character of the coin or device presented fortest.

9. An apparatus of the character described comprising a circuit havingcopper terminals forming a gap adapted to be closed by a coin, token orlike device to control the current, said terminals having thereon a drymixture of silver nitrate and silver filings adapted to produce asubstantially greater flow of current in the presence of a silver devicethan in the presence of a copper device, and means controlled by saidcircuit and indicating the character of the coin or device presented fortest.

10. An apparatus of the character described comprising a circuitincluding electromagnetic means, means for presenting coins, tokens orlike devices to said circuit to control the current therein inaccordance With the composition of the devices, and an armature inoperative relation to said electromagnetic means and restrained againstbeing actuated thereby before the current attains a predeterminedamperage, said armature including a portion having a plurality ofpassages for the devices, one passage aligning with said devicepresenting means in one position of the armature, and the other passagealigning with said device presenting means in the other position of thearmature.

11. An apparatus of the character described comprising an impedanceconstituting electromagnetic means adapted to be traversed by afluctuating current, contacts adapted to be engaged by a coin, token orlike device for varying said impedance and Y causing a flow of currenttherein, and means actuated by the electromagnetic effects of saidimpedance for controlling the destination of the device. 1

12. An apparatus of the character described comprising a closed ma neticcore, an impedance coil on said core a apted to be traversed by afluctuating current, a secondary member on said core having a gapadapted to be bridged by a coin, token or likedevice to varytheimpedance and cause a flow of current, and means actuated by themagnetic efiects of said core for controlling the destination of thedevice.

13. An apparatus of the character de scribed comprising a core, a coilthereon constituting an imepdance and electromagnetic means, and adaptedto be traversed by a fluctuating current, contacts adapted to be bridgedby a coin, token or like device for varying the impedance of said coil,means for pressing the device against said contacts, and means actuatedby the magnetic effects of said core for controlling the destination ofthe device.

14. An apparatus of the character described comprisin impedance meansadapted to be traversed by a fluctuating current, means for presentingcoins, tokens or like devices to the circuit of said impedance means tocause a flow of current therein inversely proportional to the resistanceof the device presented, and an armature for controlling the destinationof the device actuated by the magnetic effects of said impedance means,and adjusted to be responsive to the current developed in the presenceof a genuine device, and to be immune to currents developed in thepresence of other devices.

15. An apparatus of the character described comprising electromagneticmeans including a core and a coil thereon, means for varying the currentthrough said coil in inverse proportion to the resistance of the coins,tokens or like devices presented to the circuit thereof, and an armaturefor controlling the destination of the device actuated by the magneticeffects of said core, and adjusted to be responsive to a current ofpredetermined amperage developed in the presence of a genuine device andto be immune to currents of other amperages.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name hereto.

FAIRFIELD W. HOBAN.

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